Combined refrigerating and hot-water-storage apparatus



N. B. WALES.

COMBINED REFRIGERATING AND HOT WATER STORAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.20l 1918.

Patented Feb. 24-, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET QR M6 N. B. WALES.

COMBINED REFRIGERATING AND HOT WATER STORAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-20. 1918.

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airman Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

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a a am N. B. WALES.

COMBINED REFRIGERATING AND HOT WATER STORAGE'APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-20, 1918- 1,331,600.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL B. WALES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB T0 GEORGE LEWIS, OF HEW 4 YORK, N. Y.

connmn REIBIGERATING AND HOT-WATEB-STORAGE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Application filed December 20, 1918. Serial No. 267,640.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, NATHANIEL B. WALEI, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Combined Refrigerating and ot-Water-Storage Apgaratus, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to a system of refrigeration and hot water heating for domestic urposes wherein the heat abstracted from t e water undergoing refrigeration and the heat derived from the condensation of the steam jets employed in producing the vacuum over the evaporating pans in the refrigerator is utilized in heating the hot water supply.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a combined system in which there is such an interrelation between the refrigerating and heating parts that the maximum economy is obtained. To this end my 1nvention enables the process of refri ration to be effected under the direct centre of the volume and temperature of the hot water storage. A further object is to provide a system which is entirely automatic in oper ation and which is without moving parts, stug boxes or chemicals and in which no waste cooling fluid is necemery. The epparatus is simple to manufacture and can he laced on the market at o very low lid all refrigerating systems a large mass of heat involved in the ener y of heat trousier is .elways rejected and thrown away. One of the essential objects of this invention is the conservin of this waste in the form of the valuable household necessity, hot weter. I make the nerating of a body of hot water, the time c ement factor in the cyclic sequence which marks 05 the automatic nature of my apparatus. In this manner the cost of operating thissystem is reduced to a real minimum as two valuable products result from itseyclic operation, hot water and refrigeration. When a certain volume of hot water has been accumulated by conserving the heat rejected in the vacuum-producing steam-jets through the transfer of heat from s condensing coil, which is located within a hot water storage tank, my system stops its entire action and is latent until the hot water already generated has been drawn oil for domestic pu.

The system can be quickly installed, the vacuum refrigerating trays being made in difi'erent sizes to fit any refrigerator now in use. The series of steam ejector jets, using steam at approximately 50 lbs. pressure and slightly super-heated by my boiler construction, produce less than .08 lbs. pres sure absolute in the evaporation trays, allowing the use of a brine therein and thereby giving an accumulation of cold to bridge over the time interval when the hot water sttgred, in the water tank has not been drawn on I An ice drawer is recessed in the lower tray in the evaporator and subdivided to provide cubes of ice fortable use, this drawer being positioned below the brine level therein.

One of the emential features of this invention is the utilization of a sin le water heating and storage tank in whic'i is positioned a coil at its lower end which conditutes the condenser for the steam and into which the steam jets discharge. in order to obtain a vacuum suficient to give an evaporation suliicient to obtain temperatures which will freeze ice, it is essential to have that portion of the coil nearest the steam jets a ways maintained at it relatively low tem. rature. In order to assure the continuity of such a temperature and to ovoid e. waste of gas by the meificient operation of this system, the volume of hot water stored in this tank is limited to e point its sccumuletion, as it works down the top or the tonic to a point just above the top of this condensing coil. This determination of the extent oi the accumulation of hot water is efiectedby positioning u thermostatic element in the tank at this point, which shuts oil the source of heat when the hot water has accumulated in the tank down to this point. In this manner within a single tank of a t pe c mmon to domestic installation an e ectivc vacuum can be maintained in the refri rating portion coincidentally with the e cient heating and accumulation of water and in case the system tends to become unbalanced, due to an excessive accumulation of hot water, the thermostat shuts down the entire system.

The spirit of the invention is, therefore, the. conservation of the heat abstracted from the refrigerating pans (heat of evaporization) together with that derived from the steam jets which create the vacuum, by

1o cycle.

The pur and operation of this invention w1ll understood and appreclated from the following detailed descrl tion of an apparatus for carrying it into 0 ect, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus for carrying out my process; Fig. 2 is a top lan view of the vacuum refrigerating tan s; Fig. 3, ,is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detail sectional views on the lines 44 and 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section of the steam generator, hot water storage tank and condenser- Fig. 7, is an enlarged sectional view of the steam jet injectors, and Fig. 8 is a horizontal sec- :tBion above the deflector plate on line 88 of e refrigerating unit is designed to fit into the ice compartment 2 of the ordinary domestic refrigerator 1, and consists of one or more vacuum freezing tanks, each of which comprises a main tank 3 and a series -85 of lateral branches 3, the whole being united and braced by vertical angle irons 6 forming standards. The interiors of the two tanks are connected by a pipe 7, extending from the to of the lower tank to about 40 the middle of t e u per tank, as shown in F i 3. The flange filling opening 12, issea ed by a ca 14, which screws against a gasket 15. D n removing the cap and pouring water lnto the upper tank the latter 1s first filled up to the water level and then overflows through the ipe 7 into the lower tank, the water level mg determined by a e pointer 16, moving in front of a sea e 17 extending through the filling opening, the pointer bein attached to a wire 18 extending through t e ipe 7 and carried by a float 20. This refi ling the trap with water to maintain the brine of a proximately constant specific gravity may done automatically as well.

In order to provide a convenient method of supplying small cubes of ice for glasses of ice water and other purposes, I construct one of the tanks with a chambered head formed by welding therein a small tube 25,

66 into cubes, slides into the tube 25, and is provided with an end cover plate 29 having a ull handle 30.

he vacuum pipe 40, which may be made of small copper tubing, leads from the top of the upper tank to the casi' of the steam ejector )GiLS and the latter ex aust into the coil 41 of the condenser located in the lower part of the domestic water boiler or hot water tank 50. In order to produce a. high vacuum I employ two or more steam et ejectors operating in series or cascade arrangement. The steam supply pipes 42, connect with the inlets 43, supplying steam to the nozzles 45, which dischar into the restricted or neck portions 0 the Venturi tube portions 46, the kinetic ener of the steam as it expands therein p ucing a strong pull or suction through the vacuum pigs 40.

he steam generator. shown in detail in Fig. 6, comprises a small steam boiler 51, to which is connected the steam generating coil 52, connected at the water inlet end 52 with the end of the boiler and also-by the branch pipe 52., and at the steam discharge end 52 with the interior of the boiler above the water line. The su r-heater coil 56, is connected by a steaminlet 57 to the interior of the boiler and by an outlet pipe 58 thro h a check valve 59 with the ejector supp y pipes 42. The main gas burner 60 is directly connected with the gas main 61, while the pilot burner 62 is connected by a branch 63 which taps into. the main on the street side of the main cut-ofi valve 70. The steam generator unit is preferably su ported on a shelf in the cellar, basement or l aundry and may be entirely inclosed by an enameled casmg 64.

The gas supplied to the main burner is automatically turned on or cut oil at the valve 70, by a thermostat 65, which extends through the boiler easing into the water in the intermediate or thermal control zone. Any suitable or known cut-ofl' device may be employed. For purposes of illustration. I have shown the expansion bar 66 of the thermostat pivoted to a lever 67 having a yoke at its free end adapted to alternately enga opposite sides of a snapover spring togg e 68, as the bar 66 e ands and contracts. When the water in e thermal control zone reaches the predetermined temperature, the bar 66 expands and moves the yielding spring arms of the toggle to the right until they pass the center when they snap with a sharp blow upon the lug 69, thereby sliding the rod 71 in its bearings and causing the lug 72 to move the lever 73 of the gas valve to shut ofl the When the temperature of the water in t e thermal-control zone falls below the predetermined temperature, the rod 66, contracts and causes the yoke to strike the lug 69 and push the toggle in the opposite direction until it ner. Excessive steam pressure in the boiler snaps over against the left-hand yoke arm, thereby causing the lug 74 on the rod 71 to strike a sharp blow upon the valve lever 73, thus turning the gas onto the main burner. This cycle of o rations is repeated when ever hot water 18 drawn in sufiicient quantity' from the tank.

The water which condenses in the. coil 41, escapes through the check valve 76 into the sump basin 7 8. The water level in the steam generating boiler 51 is maintained automatically. When it drops below the open end of the pipe 80, steam passes down this pi to actuate a steam injector 81 which raws water from the sump basin and forces it past the check valve 82, and through the pipe 83,

into the coil 52; and as soon as the water rises to the upper level, thereby shutting off the mouth of the pipe 80, the injector will cease to operate. While both pipes 80 and 83 are normally full of water. the difference in height between the inlet of pipe 80 and the outlet of pipe 83 is suliicient to start the injector as soon as the inlet 80 is exposed to the action of the steam within the tank 51. This action is also assisted by the suction exerted at the outlet of pipe 83, caused by the circulation of steam and water through the coil 52. It is evident that the inlet opening of pipe 80 may also be controlled by a float valve or in any other well known manis prevented by a safety valve 85.

In order to induce the de ositin of scale or sediment upon the interior we is of the coil, the circulation of water and steam through the generating coil 52 is increased by turning the outlet end 52toward the outlet 52 so that the water spra which is mingled with the steam is forcibly discharged into the inlet end 52 while the steam escapes.

' For the purpose of obtaining comparatively dry steam in the pipe 57, leading to the super-heater coil, ll separate the hoiler into two chamoershy a perioratedwall or screen 86. A deflector plate 88 may he inserted in the lease oi the tank to increase and define the circulation of the water in the lower end of the tank.

My process or method of operation will be understood from the foregoing detailed description of an apparatus designed to carry it into sheet. The cycle of operations is begun by lighting the burners and 62, to

enerate steam for the steam jets 45 inthe T enturi casings 46. The ejector action of I these jets produces a high vacuum in the tube 40 and the refrigerating tanks 3, 3, which lowers the boiling point of the water contained therein, as is well known, thus causing the rapid vaporization of a certain amount of the water and thereby abstractin heat and lowering the temperature sufii ciently to freeze the water or brine. The freezing point may be lowered, as is usual in refrigerating systems by dimolving a chemical therein, such as calcium chlorid,

which may conveniently be placed in the tanks in dry powdered form at the factory when the parts are assembled.

A high vacuum is maintained in the refrigerating system by condensing the steam as it leaves the casing of the ejector. The efficiency of the condenser coil 41 is maintained by placing the coil in the lower cold water end of the boiler and stopping the o eration as soon as the temperature of t e Water surrounding the coil rises to a degree which will no longer efliciently condense the steam to produce the high vacuum required. The heat units absorbed by the condenser are immediately transferred to the surrounding water which rises as it is heated and accumulates in the upper part or the tank which constitutes the hot water storage and is always the hottest part. This operation continues until the volume of hot water approaches the thermostat which is located above the condenser in what may he termed the thermal control some since its temperature controls the cyclic operation of the system.

When the temperature of the water surrounding the thermostat is modified hy' the approach of the hot water in its gradual descent, until the predetermined critical temperature is reached the will he shut ed in v the manner previously described until the operation is repeated through a certain amount of the hot water having been drawn 0d. The tanlr may thus he cowidered as divided into an upper hot water storage pertion, a lower cold water condensing and c) determined by the volume tern r stored hot nee h sween refrig i L -7 not w er e and en the my s adapted "for domestic I claim:-

, 1. A process of refrigeration which consists in causing a liquid to evaporate by exhausting the vapor therefrom and discharging the said vapor into a body of water and controlling the exhausting of the vapor by the volume and temperature of said body of water.

2. A process of refrigeration which consists in causing a liquid to evaporate by exhausting the vapor therefrom through the ejector action of steam jets and discharging the said vapor together with the exhaust steam into a body of water and controlling the exhausting of the va r by the volume and temperature of said dy of water.

3. A process of refrigeration which consists in causing a liquid to evaporate by exhausting the vapor therefrom through the ejector action of steam jets and discharging the said vapor together with the exhaust steam into a bod of water and controlling the generation 0 steam and the consequent duration of the exhausting of the Va r by the volume and temperature of sai body of water.

4. A refrigerating apparatus of the vacuum type described, comprising evaporating tanks, a series of vacuum producing steam jets connected therewith, a steam generator for supplying said jets, a stora water tank, a'con ensing coil located in t e lower portion thereof and receiving the exhaust from said steam jets, and a thermostatic deviceactuated by the heat accumulated in the body of water in said tank and operating to control said steam generator.

5. A refrigerating apparatus of the vacuum type described, comprising evaporating tanks, 9, series of vacuum producing steam jets connected therewith, a steam generator for supplying said jets, a heating medium jets, and a t therefor, a storage water tank, a condensing coil located in the lower rtion thereof and receivin' the exhaust in said steam ermostatic device actuated by the heat accumulated in the body of water in said tank and operati to control the supply of said heating me ium,

6. A refrigerating apparatus of the vacuum ty described, comprising evaporating tanks ocated in a refrigerating chamber, a series of vacuum producing steam jets connected therewith, a steam generator for supplying steam to said jets, a fluid heating medium therefor, a storage water tank, a condensing coil located in the lower rtion of said water tank and connected with the exhaust fromsaid steam jets, means for withdrawing hot water from the top of said water tank and for su lyin cold water to the bottom thereof, and a t ermostatic device actuated by the temperature of the water to control the supply of said heating medium.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

NATHANIEL B. WALES. 

